I predict over 1000 yards with around 70 receptions

Good research. The Welker, Jennings, Moss, Smith, Evans analogies make some sense for sure.

I would question using the word “elite” but I would argue that 1200 yard #1 receivers is darn good.

I think Hester can get there for sure. And, if he doesn’t, I don’t believe it will be because he has played poorly but rather because we’ll have a much more diversified offense than some of these other guys played in.

I think the best comparisons are to Coles and Moss although they were like the only thing going for a limp armed Pennington back in the early part of this decade. That team just got on the Curtis Martin train most of the time and let Pennington throw dump off passes to those two speedsters who would then turn on the after burners.

Jennings, Smith and Welker maybe similar in stature but not necessarily with the same kinds of talents. Also, all three of those guy benefited greatly in their third year by playing opposite high quality possession receivers. If Olson turns into that guy for the Bears then I think that you can make some connections there.

To me the “elite” receivers in this league are guys like Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, Randy Moss, etc. and while it would be great if he ever reached that level, I’d settle for a solid #1 type of season. The only problem, and it has nothing to do with your research, with comparing him to the guys listed is that almost all of them have or had really good complimentary receivers that takes some pressure off of them. I’m not convinced that Hester is a true #1, but I’m not convinced he couldn’t be either. If one or more of the younger guys comes in and have good years, Devin has no excuses. This is the year he needs to prove he’s the guy or that needs to be the priority for next off-season.

He doesn’t have it upstairs if you know what I mean. I don’t think him and Cutler wil have that connection that great QB-WR combos have. He will do okay but will never be more than a number 2.

The comparison of Steve Smith to Devin Hester is one Ive been making to my friends since Devin was drafted. If you look at how they came into the league, each were considered explosive kick returners their rookie years and as Mule Train points out each had similar records in their 1st and 2nd years at Wide Receiver (even though Hester played three years, hes only played two at wide receiver). But the most telling comparison of Steve Smiths jump from year 2 to year 3 at Wide receiver, where he absolutely exploded was the change at a certain position and that was at Quarterback (from Rodney Peete to Jake Delhomme) so just like Smith, Hester will enjoy an upgrade at Quarterback as well. Hopefully he can put up the same numbers Smith started to put up.

No doubt Hester still has alot to learn. I mean people forget that he didnt even play Wide Receiver in college. So to learn the most basic nuances of the position in the NFL must have been tough on him. But considering he wasnt supposed to be the #1 receiver going into last year I thought he did a good job. Not to mention all the double teams he got. But one thing that separates Smith from Hester that you cant teach is how Smith goes up and fights for the ball. Hes one of the most physical “little guys” Ive ever seen. Hester needs to learn to do that if he wants to be ELITE so to speak. But just think how good he could be if we had Plax taking those double teams. Im not ruling out the POSSIBILITY of one of these young guys stepping up and becoming a threat. It would just be alot easier if we had a guy of Plaxs mold (on the field not off)

I think ALL of us want to suggest he is on the cusp of being elite.

Now, whether or not we’re living in la-la land when we make that suggestion is another story.

The point is: As Bears fans, this seems like a great year for Hester to break out and the precedent for similarly styled wide outs to do that has already been set— many times over.

With regards to your suggestion that Hester is “Not good.” If you look at his production with a fairly lame offense in the last six games (the period when the coaches say things started clicking for him) he was really quite good. I posted that earlier and don’t want to go redo my calculations but the point was those numbers extrapolated over a 16 game season would have given him nearly 1K yards and 70 rec. Bump that up by 10% with a Cutler out there and you’re looking at an 1100 yard 80 catch season. That’s good.

Check out last year’s game log

Week… 12.. 13.. 14.. 15.. 16.. 17.. 6-gm 16g season
Rec’s… 5… 3… 5…. 4… 2… 6… 25….. 67
Yrds… 57.. 67.. 80.. 46.. 12.. 85.. 347…. 925
yd/r… 11.4. 22.3 16 11.5 6. 14.2. 13.9….. xx
*Sorry about the sucky formatting — coudn’t figure out how to do a table

This is last year.. with Orton as QB, who was injured and getting sacked a bunch. It even includes that really bad week 16 against GB so you can’t say it’s just a lucky string of games. BTW, that’s better than Marshall’s rd/rec of 12.2 (11.3 in the last 6 games), Denver’s #1 receiver, with Cutler at QB (his total yards was 462 yards on 41 completions).

Folks, I think the kid’s ready.

For my money, Hester is like Willie Gault was twenty years ago, not a great receiver, definitely not a #1 WR, but a very dangerous one that defenses have to account for whenever he is on the field.

Cutler will hit one as long as they can both get off the line in decent shape.